34

Public Safety

Dr. Mark Rosekind initiated the transition to the

Fatigue Countermeasures Group, along with several other
NASA colleagues. Rosekind led the program from 1990
until 1997. During his tenure, he made many important
contributions to applied research, accident investigation,
aviation policy, and operational environments. In addition,
he served as the chief of the Aviation Operations Branch
in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division
at Ames, where he helped enhance aviation safety and
performance through the analysis, experimentation, and
modeling of human performance and human-automation
interaction. Prior to working for NASA, Rosekind had
directed the Center for Human Sleep Research at Stanford
Universitys Sleep Disorders Center.
For over 20 years, Rosekinds research, publications,
presentations, and practical applications in the fields

Partnership

esponding to a congressional concern about aviation safety, NASAs Ames Research Center created
the Ames Fatigue/Jet Lag Program in 1980 to
examine the extent to which fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption affect pilot performance. The programs
primary research was conducted in field settings, as well
as in a variety of aviation, controlled laboratory, and fullmission flight-simulation environments, to study fatigue
factors and circadian disruption in short-haul, long-haul,
military, cargo, and helicopter operations.
In 1990, NASA changed the programs name to
the Fatigue Countermeasures Group, to provide a
greater emphasis on the development and evaluation of
countermeasures that would mitigate the adverse effects
of fatigue and maximize flight crew performance and
alertness. The research conducted by this group at Ames
included field studies of cockpit rest, quantity and quality
of onboard sleep, and performance changes associated
with long-haul flights.

Originating Technology/NASA Contribution

of fatigue and alertness paved the way for significant

improvements in real-world settings. These accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as Rosekind racked up award
after award for his work. Honors included the NASA
Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Group Achievement
awards, a NASA Turning Goals into Reality award,
a Flight Safety Foundation Presidential Citation for
Outstanding Achievement in Safety Leadership, a Flight
Safety Foundation Business Aviation Meritorious Service
award, and being named a Fellow of the World Economic
Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.

Spinoff 2006

In 1997, Rosekind brought his expertise to the private

sector by founding Alertness Solutions, Inc., a scientific
consulting firm that translates knowledge of sleep, circadian rhythms, alertness, and performance into practical
products, services, and strategies that improve safety and
productivity. These offerings are geared towards individuals and organizations involved with around-the-clock
operations, altered shift schedules, sustained or continuous
requirements, and frequent travel across time zones.
In 2005, Cupertino, California-based Alertness
Solutions added another NASA fatigue countermeasures

The majority of NASAs fatigue countermeasures studies are performed in the field during normal flight operations or in simulators.
Pictured here are two pilots undergoing tests in the Crew-Vehicle Systems Research Facilitys Boeing 747-400 Simulator at Ames
Research Center.

Feeling Well Rested and Wide Awake When it Counts

 Spinoff 2006

Sleep-related crashes cost the American Government

and businesses $46 billion each year, estimates the National
Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. Thirty-seven
percent of drivers have nodded off for at least a moment
or fallen asleep while driving at least once in their driving career, according to a 2002 National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration report compiled from a national
survey. Nine out of every 10 police officers responding to
an Internet survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic
Safety reported having stopped a driver who they believed
was drunk, but turned out to be drowsy.
These statistics should be alarming enough to open even
the drowsiest of eyes, but they are just a small sampling
of available data illustrating how drowsy driving and fallasleep crashes are major road-safety issues, accounting for
thousands of fatalities and injuries every year.

Product Outcome

veteran to the mix, when Dr. Melissa Mallis, who led the
Fatigue Countermeasures Group from 2000 to 2005,
joined the company as its director of scientific affairs.
While with NASA, Mallis had made significant contributions to safety, research, and education in aviation,
space, and other diverse operational settings. She had also
helped other Federal agencies set standards for evaluating technology designed to enhance human awareness of
neurobehavioral decrements, by performing the first-ever
controlled, double-blind scientific studies of the validity
and reliability of various drowsiness-detection technologies and alerting countermeasures.
Together, Rosekind and Mallis are applying the scientific prowess they honed at Ames and incorporating the
latest research available to help individuals and organizations manage and overcome the operational challenges of
their environments. Such challenges include drowsy driving that occurs from long durations behind the wheel, jet
lag from crossing multiple time zones in a short period of
time, and sleep deprivation resulting from irregular schedules and challenging sleep environments.

Public Safety

35

and commercial drivers who spend long hours on the

road, especially at night. It combines information, selfevaluation tools, alertness strategies, travel planning, and
safe driving activities in an engaging, real-time format.
Awake at the Wheel includes a 32-page alertness guide
and a 36-minute audio CD to give drivers: information
about what makes them sleepy and how this affects their
ability to drive safely; ways to accurately evaluate their
alertness (when it is time to get out of the fast lane and
get into bed, as the company says); sure-fire strategies
to help them stay alert; and planning tools that allow them
to implement alertness strategies on the next big trip. The
alertness guide is full of scientific-but-easy-to-understand
information and exercises, and the CD contains vignettes

Awake at the Wheel is a unique alert-driving tool consisting of an audio CD and a printed alertness guide.

People dont realize how common fall-asleep crashes

are; that they often have tragic consequences, and that a
variety of people are affected, said Rosekind, who resides
as president and chief scientist of Alertness Solutions.
Drowsy driving is a significant and largely
unappreciated cause of motor vehicle crashes, added
Susan Coughlin, former vice chair of the National
Transportation Safety Board. Alertness Solutions has an
innovative remedy that combines state-of-the-art science
with a practical tool, offering the potential to reduce
crashes and make highway driving safer.
This solution, called Awake at the Wheel, serves as
a unique driver-alertness tool for various at-risk groups,
including sleep-deprived shift workersparticularly
those who work at night; young adults, age 16 to 29;

36

Public Safety

and characters that aid the listener/driver in staying awake

and alert.
Johnson & Johnsons Safe Fleet corporate driving safety program was the first to implement Awake at
the Wheel. The alertness tool was distributed to 15,000
corporate drivers and has received resounding accolades.
Besides all of the direct benefits promoting driver alertness, one individual even reported that the information in
the tool directly led to the diagnosis and treatment of their
sleep disorder, sleep apnea.
Moving from road safety to air safety, there is a plethora
of research showing that the aviation industry has been
profoundly affected by fatigue. For example, in 1997,
NASA conducted a survey on fatigue factor in corporate/
executive aviation operations, wherein 1,488 corporate
flight crewmembersthe majority of whom flew jet
aircraftresponded. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent)
of the responding pilots reported that they had nodded
off during a flightyet another alarming statistic to open
some eyes.
Alertness Solutions is indeed opening eyes, with a product called AvAlert that has come to the aid of numerous
pilots and crewmembers, and other key flight operations
personnel plagued by fatigue. As the predecessor for the
principles and objectives that make up Awake at the
Wheel, AvAlert consists of multimedia presentations and
adaptable tools on CD-ROM that provide scientifically
based information on, and practical management strategies for, fatigue, alertness, and performance.
The AvAlert program has been very useful in the battle
against aviation fatigue. Weve applied what we learned on
our trips, and it works, according to representatives of
ACM Aviation, LLC, a worldwide charter service based at
the Mineta San Jose International Airport.
Alertness Solutions markets AvAlert as comprehensive,
convenient, and customizable. The technology is comprehensive in that it includes: guidelines and resources
for creating an active and effective in-house alertness management program; guidelines for duty- and rest-scheduling;

Spinoff 2006

The Alert Traveler passport is a handy reference guide containing techniques for managing jet lag. AvAlert is a comprehensive
package of multimedia resources that provides corporate flight operators with the education, tools, and training they need to
successfully implement alertness management programs.

 Spinoff 2006

educational materials for a better understanding of sleep,

circadian rhythms, and performance; fatigue-related
findings and insights from NASA aviation studies; and
a management communication package to convey the
importance, benefits, and requirements of alertness management to corporate/executive management.
The technology is convenient in that it incorporates
interactive lessons, practical tools, and paper and
electronic forms in one easy-to-use package. (Two full
sets of materials are included: one to remain with flight
departments, the other to travel with flight crews.) Because
human physiology and flight operations are complex,
other methods of creating and promoting a comprehensive
and effective alertness management program would take
months of research, preparation, planning, and, often,
outside expertise, according to Alertness Solutions.
Conversely, AvAlert provides corporate flight departments
with the knowledge and materials they need to create a
comprehensive alertness management program, literally,
overnight, added Alertness Solutions.
Finally, it is customizable. Since every corporate aircraft
operation is unique, AvAlert allows flight departments to
tailor an alertness management program to their specific
operational requirements, for maximum efficiency and
impact. For example, tools are provided that allow a
flight department to audit its specific schedules and create
tailored strategies to address any identified fatigue issues.
Also, electronic versions of resource material can be edited
and personalized for use within the flight department.
Based on its NASA experience, Alertness Solutions
also created Alertness Metrics Technology, an empirical
approach to collecting objective data related to fatigue,
alertness, and safety. The Alertness Metrics Technology
makes use of an actigraph, a wristwatch-like device that
objectively measures 24-hour sleep/wake patterns and
provides a valid and accurate determination of sleep
quantity and quality. It also makes use of a specially
programmed PDA that collects daily log information on
activities such as meals, sleep timing, exercise, and caffeine
use. The PDA includes a simple, 5-minute reaction time
test that is taken on a regular basis to assess performance.
In 2004, Alertness Solutions was engaged by JetBlue
Airways to develop and implement a comprehensive alertness management program (by expanding and tailoring
a core set of AvAlert tools), and then collect data during
actual JetBlue flights, using Alertness Metrics Technology.
To help pilots and passengers fight off the effects of jet
lag, Alertness Solutions created a handy reference guide
entitled Alert Traveler: Your Passport to Managing Jet
Lag. Whether it be for a pilot responsible for landing a jet
in a new time zone where day quickly changed to night,
or for a passenger who just crossed multiple time zones
and needs to be clearheaded for a business meeting, this
reference guide contains all of the hints and tips needed to
successfully manage jet lag.
In another example of applying science to a practical
situation, Alertness Solutions worked with Hilton Hotels

The tips offered in the Alert Traveler passport have helped

airline pilots through long-duration, multiple-time-zone flights.

Public Safety

37

Awake at the Wheel, AvAlert, Alertness Metrics Technology, and

Alert Traveler: Your Passport to Managing Jet Lag are registered trademarks of Alertness Solutions, Inc.

Corporation to combine renowned hospitality expertise

with the power of science to give U.S. Olympians an
optimal sleep environment and, hence, a competitive edge
at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, in Torino, Italy. As
a result of this partnership, Hiltonan official sponsor
of the U.S. Olympic Teammodified 160 resident athlete dorm rooms at the Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic
Training Center, based on recommendations from
Alertness Solutions, to help increase the athletes alertness
and reaction times for peak performance.
Sleep is so important and so basic that it could make
the difference between winning the gold or the silver at
the Olympic Games, said Rosekind. The proper amount
of sleep could boost an athletes performance as much as
30 percent.
Modifications included enhanced bed size and bedding,
a usable work area, enhanced lighting controls, blackout drapes, and an effective MP3/CD player-compatible
wakeup mechanism that Hilton Hotels proclaims is the
worlds easiest-to-set alarm clock.
It sounds so simple, but getting the proper rest really
does increase my confidence and abilities on and off the
track, said U.S. Olympic speedskater, Apolo Anton
Ohno. Rest and relaxation is a critical component to
competing at your best. With the improvements that are
being made to our living space, Im excited to come home
to a place designed to help my performance.
The redesign paid off, as Ohno turned in a brilliant
overall performance at the 2006 games, winning a gold
medal (mens 500-meter race) and two bronze medals
(mens 1,000-meter race and mens 5,000-meter relay). v